From the Bookshelf of DMPL Book Chat…

The Wedding People

Alison Espach

Start date: November 27, 2024

Finish date: December 16, 2024

Why we're reading this: Wedding People is East Side Book Discussion's December selection! This book club will be held in person a…more
[close] Wedding People is East Side Book Discussion's December selection! This book club will be held in person at East Side Library on Monday, 12/16 at 2:00 PM. Visit our website or call 515-283-4152 for more details.

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Aug 21, 2024 Andy rated it really liked it

"The Wedding People" is a lighthearted dive into deep themes with a nice mixture of humor, drama and introspection. Alison Espach proves that a story about suicide and adultery can be surprisingly entertaining.

There’s only so many ways a “person hellbent on dying finds a reason to live again” plot can feel fresh. For the first quarter of the novel it felt very familiar (I couldn’t help but think of Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library”), but Espach quickly drew me into the lives of Lila and Phoebe "The Wedding People" is a lighthearted dive into deep themes with a nice mixture of humor, drama and introspection. Alison Espach proves that a story about suicide and adultery can be surprisingly entertaining.

There’s only so many ways a “person hellbent on dying finds a reason to live again” plot can feel fresh. For the first quarter of the novel it felt very familiar (I couldn’t help but think of Matt Haig’s “The Midnight Library”), but Espach quickly drew me into the lives of Lila and Phoebe, two women navigating a week of unexpected soul-searching.

Between the witty banter and scenery chewing characters you’d expect in a beach read romance, the author elevated this above the usual genre fare of low-stakes champagne problems with a remarkable sense of relatability in the two main characters.

This worked for me because it is essentially a story about the power of human connection. Sometimes, it's the support of a loved one or close friend that keeps us grounded, while other times, it's a serendipitous encounter that pulls us back from the edge.

Despite its strengths, the novel does have some drawbacks. The plot can be convoluted and overly dramatic, and the male characters feel somewhat underdeveloped. The large cast, consisting primarily of wedding guests and hotel employees, can be difficult to follow in audiobook format.

Beyond the honest conversations between Phoebe and Lila and Phoebe and Gary, the story often falls into familiar rom-com tropes. While it's not a groundbreaking work of literature, it surpassed expectations for its genre, offering more depth and nuance than anticipated.

Helen Laser’s narration brought each character to life with energy and enthusiasm. While the production occasionally stumbles with awkward and distracting edits, her performance was consistently engaging. Even Lila, a character often perceived as shrill, comes across with a certain charm.

Thank you to Libro.fm, Macmillan Audio and the author for a free copy of the audiobook. This exchange of goods did not influence my review. ...more

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